London set to welcome two cruise ships in one day

The Port of London Authority (PLA) says that this year’s London cruise ship season is set to kick off this week, with two vessels due to arrive on Tuesday, 30 April.

Luxury liner, The World will arrive in the early hours of Tuesday, taking moorings ‘mid-stream’ at Greenwich. She will be followed in just 12 hours later by specialist cruise ship, Fram, which will tie up alongside HMS Belfast. Fram is designed with a reinforced hull for cruising arctic waters.

The PLA has been investing for the start of the season, preparing the world’s only floating cruise terminal, Welcome, ready to service The World and installing new security scanners in their baggage facility on Tower Pier.

“It’s great to see the season kick off with two ships arriving within half a day,” says PLA’s chief executive, Richard Everitt. “Over the course of the year we expect to welcome a number of cruise ships to our moorings in the capital. They give passengers the unique experience of waking in the heart of one of the world’s major cities, within easy reach of major tourist sites, such as the Tower of London and the Palace of Westminster.”

The arrival of The World and Fram comes in an exciting fortnight for Thames vessel arrivals. Since 26 April West India Dock has welcomed German sail training ship, Gorch Fock and the Canadian Navy destroyer, HMCS Iroquois. They will be joined tomorrow (1 May) by the French minehunter, L’Aigle.

And next week, the river is expected to welcome three Royal Navy vessels, coming to London as part of the events to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic.

“Last year was an exceptional one for people’s interest in the river, with the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant and the many vessels that came to London for the Olympics. The ship arrivals we’re seeing now prove that London’s draw as a destination remains un-diminished. Our team of expert pilots, port control staff and harbour masters’ teams are on hand to oversee the arrivals and get the vessels safely to their berths,” concluded Richard Everitt.